2018 MOR TWOFLY FEATURED ARTIST - AMBER BLAZINA

Second Fly on the Yellowstone
Oil on Linen

Amber Blazina is a contemporary western oil painter, specializing in Impressionist and Expressionist alla prima methods. She melds her vast experience in design, the research and knowledge of painters with whom she has studied, and the experiences of her rural Montana upbringing to create bold, energetic paintings. A freelance graphic designer since 2002, she transitioned to oil painting in 2016, becoming a full-time painter in 2017. Amber has recently received recognition as an Associate Member of the Society of Animal Artists, among only 16 given this distinction in 2018.

Amber was interviewed and published for an article in the April/May 2018 issue of Western Art & Architecture, which also featured one of her iconic Blue Deer paintings, Emerging. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a finalist and several meritorious entries in the Rochester75 International Small Works 2018 Art Competition, Daily Paintworks March 2017 1st Place Winner, ArtMuse Finalist Emerging Artist awards in March, April, & July 2017 and just recently May 2018, and the Daily Brushwork February 2017 Choice Award. She resides and paints in the Rocky Mountains, in her beloved home state of Montana.

Growing up on the windswept prairies of eastern Montana on a secluded wheat farm, Amber formed a deep connection to nature, its landscape and the animals that dwell there. She was formally trained in graphic design at the Art Institute of Colorado. Her extensive design background is apparent throughout her paintings and their visually interesting subjects and layouts. Her focus is on simplicity and grace; to create a seemingly effortless painting through thoughtful brushstrokes that carry the energy of Impressionism.

To catch the essence of an image and strip out the unnecessary elements is at the heart of each of Amber’s paintings. Strength in the fundamentals of painting—drawing, value, form, line, edge—are apparent in her work, yet she pushes the boundaries of those elements to create interest, movement, and drama. Amber now lives and paints in the Rocky Mountains near Bozeman, Montana.